


The Bajillion Times Skull was Awesome...

by DCJoKeRHS



Series: Arcobaleno Mayhem [2]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: M for Murders and Maybes, Multi, Tags May Change, no regrets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 12:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15024398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DCJoKeRHS/pseuds/DCJoKeRHS
Summary: ...And the Few Times he Wasn't.Based off parts of Verde's Advice, then other future fics for this AU.Hope you enjoy!





	1. Stealing Reborn's Whiskey

Skull knew a lot about magic tricks: he'd grown up on the inside of a Circus, his Mother being the Fortune's Biker and his Father being a Magician. He'd learnt everything he ever could from the pair of them, as well as the many Aunts and Uncles he had, then, also the Big Brothers and Sisters his had.

It was from them he had learnt about Family over Famiglia, Yakuza and the like, as well as from whom he'd learnt how to build his First Hoard.

He'd been forced to shove that hoard in a wooden chest as he was dragged here, so...

...Now he was building adding to his Hoard, having already finished turning the twin-sized bed into a Nest, spare blankets and pillows built up around the edges of the bed so the Cloud could cuddle up inside.

Of course, he'd gotten more blankets to fall around the bed, to hide the area below, where his Hoard rested, Cloud flames acting as a warning signal around the whole thing...

 

Mammon's lucky coin was first, as well as easiest; an Illusionist may be able to avoid being tricked with other illusions, but light fingers and Skull's usual childish-brat-mask acted as the perfect cover... (Even if then Fon had thrown him into a wall and thoroughly scolded him.)

 

Because of this side-effect, he stole Fon's pipa, using a blend of bungee-skills and a well-placed distraction (Oodako "mysteriously" growing from their miniature size in the kitchen sink) to nab the pipa, using just the propagation factor, separated from his actual flames, to subtly multiply the feeling of _calmsafethingsinsidearemuchmoreinteresting_ during the four seconds it took to steal the wooden instrument.

 

Lal and Colonnello just meant breaking into their rooms, Verde always left his cube on the table when he went to get his coffee, so making it look like the thing had just fallen under one of the couches and disappeared was easy.

Then, Luce actually _let_ him have her engagement ring!

(She'd handed it to him with a smile, wink, as well as a "I know you'll look after it", which had Skull just falling for her flames more 'cause _holy shit_ she's a woman after his own tightly-hidden heart.)

 

Now he just needed to steal Reborn's Whiskey.

Oh boy would this be _fun_!

 

It took a blend of the gymnastics taught to him by the tightrope-walkers, trapeze artists and fire-dancers to dodge half of it, as well as the ballet kicked into him by the contortionists to deal with the weights, meant-to-be-tugged wires and even skills from the mime for the traps on the inside and outside of the cupboard holding the wanted bottle.

Of course, there were also more subtle traps; such as flame-warnings and such.

By the end of it, Skull was propagating the Wind-resistance of his movements to create a type of anti-grav as he was upside-down, using one of his screwdrivers to gently, quietly, flick away the twentieth sunny-"tag", before finally being able to sneak out the bottle, plopping it in a pocket before replacing all the removed traps.

He'd started at 3AM, then finished at 4AM, sneaking back upstairs to wrap the bottle in Cloud-laced bubble-wrap and set it under his bed with the rest of his hoard.

Of course, things can happen at the last moment.

So, as he was retracting his hand, it had set off the metal music box he'd taken from said contortionist, a soft lullaby playing.

Skull had noted the way the box needed repairs, but also the sound of the tune.

It had been one of the few things to help him sleep, so of course he pulled it out, curling up with it near his head, watching the small mechanical ballerina turn and twist on its axis, every now and then shifting positions...

...Lulling Skull to sleep...

 

The next morning he'd instinctively curled around the trinket and thrown the grabbing hand out of his room, only to recognise a gob-smacked Lal as he'd hurriedly slid the real-silver toy back under his bed, twisting round with ease to look - still upside-down - at Lal.

"Yeah?" he'd asked, "Y'want summat?"

She'd sat up properly.

"That can't _possibly_ be yours," she'd stated.

"It was my Auntie's, then I got it," Skull had stated, "This is my territory, stay out unless invited."

He'd promptly fallen asleep again, eyes still open as he'd heard and felt Lal's retreat, not once moving from his position over the side of his nest...


	2. Pets Are Cute

Three weeks later, Skull woke to find he'd, moments before, grabbed and smashed Keiman's snout into the carpetted floor, just as the creature was trying to steal his Master's Rubik's cube back.

"Oi, that's part of my Hoard," Skull grumbled, plucking the plastic thing from the alligator's mouth and throwing it back into the darkness under his bed.

Lifting his hand, Skull had sleepily observed the creature give him an annoyed look.

Before going for the small treasure _yet again_.

"No!" Skull snaps, tone an annoyed whine as he just picks Keiman up by the tail.

Of course, the alligator tries snapping Skull's nose off, Skull smelling the creature's previous meal.

...

"You're getting a bath, plus a makeover," Skull sighs, grinning as he is now awake, pulling out his spa-kit from his closet as he heads for the bathroom.

 

First, he cleans Keiman's scales.

Then, he clips the alligator's claws and brushed its teeth, holding the alligator's mouth open as he'd done so.

But, of course, in the process, Skull got _wet_.

So, when he'd stood to get a towel, he found out his own makeup was _ruined_.

...

"You are walking on thin ice, little 'gator," Skull sighs.

Completing that task, Skull looks at his spa kit...

...Before grabbing the nail polish, as a smirk covers his lips.

"Now, how a bit of fun, _right_?" Skull hums.

Keiman notices the aura surrounding the youngest Arcobaleno, reptilian eyes widening in an " _oh shoot no_ " way as Skull advances on the small-for-its-breed reptile...

 

Nail varnish is easy after the third claw, as Skull takes advantage of the way Keiman likes getting scratched under the chin.

Scale-polish is easy to make, leaving the reptile happy to the feeling of getting petted and increasing the strength of the locked-behind-him door as Skull uses the recipe taught to him by the animal-tamers to create strong-enough scale-polish, remembering to make enough to leave on the bedstands by the other reptilian pets.

(Not as though the next day the animals would figure it out amongst themselves and feel slightly in awe and slightly terrified at what Skull recalls...)

Once polished to a shine, Skull applies a light layer of make-up to the creature's face...

...Before unveiling a tutu and pink ribbon, Keiman _throwing_ himself at the door in fear, to only find that 1) like hell it's ever going to budge whilst Propagated, and 2) Did he really think Skull would forgive him for ruining his visual shield and trying to steal from him? His Hoard was _his_!

Once donned in both the bow and tutu, Skull had opened the door and stepped to a side, as Keiman had fled, heading at high-speed for the basement, as the sound of Luce's laughter could be heard from the living room, drawing the attention of the other Arcobaleno.

(Skull's surprised when Verde just facepalms; he was _sure_ it's at _least_ make a shiver run down Verde's spine!...)

(...Ah, no; that factor had moved to Colonnello...)

(...Huh...)


	3. Dressing up Colonnello and Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aka: Dealing with Bloody Hoard Thievers

Skull felt them before they even reached his door, so he strengthened the boards and softens the carpet beneath his feet to hide any sounds of movement, darting to hide behind the small line where the rubbed carpet finishes - exactly where the door, once fully open, stops.

He's perfectly calm, perfectly silent as the door flies open, Reborn leading the way in as Skull can thing _perfectly_ of who told...

...Ah well, it looks like more of his costumes are going to get used, after all of this...

(Hmm... Lal would look good in a Tribal Queen outfit, though at least the cheerleader outfit is insulting enough. Luce already knows and respects him, Verde knows and fears him slightly, Mammon will obviously still get their hood, given they don't want a gender placed on them, given how they're non-binary... But it's not as though a skirt owould look cute on them, right? They're only slightly taller than Skull himself!)

(But there are people after what is His, so he is _saving_ what is _His_.)

Slamming the door closed, Skull lets his flames and anger at their intrusion show, Reborn pulling up his gun as Oodako shoots out a tentacle, yanking the weapon away.

This makes things easier, as he first yanks Colonnello away from his Hoard, raising an arm to block the leg aiming for his neck, as he swiftly punches Colonnello unconscious as Reborn moves to punch his own lights out, Skull twisting to avoid it as he swings his legs round to thwack them both into Reborn's chest, throwing the Hitman away, before landing on his chest as he grabs one of his chloroform-laced handkerchiefs from a draw, holding it over Reborn's face as Reborn tries to tear him off, gravity increased on his limbs so the attacks are less potent.

Straightening now both are out, Skull looks up to see the camera in the corner of his room had moved.

_Oh? So he's watching, is he?_

Skull waves, suppressing the laughter bubbling in his chest...

 

The outfits he'd bought for them were hidden beneath the rest, the latex nurse outfit found first as the maid outfit is hidden just below it.

Humming, Skull throws the clothes around his neck, before grabbing an ankle of either adult, dragging them through to the bathroom with relative care, not wanting to bruise any visible skin so he wouldn't have to waste anymore make up then the clear lipgloss he always kept on himself.

Though maybe...

...Ah well, he always leaves half his makeup in the bathroom, he can test things out there...

 

He's part way through scrubbing Colonnello when the door opens, revealing Fon.

Both are quiet, as Skull pauses in scrubbing Colonnello clean, one arm held above his head so Skull has easier access to Colonnello's side, the bubblebath wafting the smell of cherries through the room...

...

"...What are you doing?" Fon finally asks.

"These two tried taking from my Hoard; don't worry, if you try, you get to wear a shocking-pink kimono," Skull smiles.

"...Why is there makeup lain out on the sink?"

Skull pauses.

"Reborn's OK with costumes, he's not OK with getting his lashes emphasized, whilst Colonnello's eyelashes and eyebrows are going to need to be darkened for his outfit to work."

Fon nods.

"There's an en suite in Mammon's room," Skull shrugs.

"Same for Luce's; I'll ask her," Fon nods, hurriedly retreating, as Skull finishes scrubbing Colonnello down, before hefting him to be propped against the wall, like Reborn, a towel draped over his lap as Skull starts on doing the makeup, outlining the very corners of Reborn's eyes in sunset orange and Colonnello's in azure blue, settling on peach-coloured chapstick for Colonnello, as he pulls out scarlet lipgloss for Reborn.

Finally, he uses pale-gold eyeshadow onthe lower half of the duo's lids, before using black mascara on Reborn and brown mascara on Colonnello, straightening as he packs up his makeup, only then remembering the blush.

"Oops! Nearly forgot that!" he hums, pulling out his highlighter kit to quickly emphasize Reborn's feminine features and Colonnello's more "innocent" ones, finally combing their hair and getting the costumes on, doing any hair-accesories last so getting the dresses on doesn't cause any trouble.

 

Skull lets himself do a check-over on the results, smirking as he sees how he'd gotten it all spot-on, as he lifts Colonelo bridal-style to set in front of Colonnello's door, before hefting Reborn up in a fireman's lift to dump near Verde...

(He _knows_ these two have the biggest crushes _ever_ , but he also knows everyone else has _way too much Pride_ to just _goddamn admit it_!)

...

(OK, Reborn has a bit more lee-way, he's still hunting his sister's murderer, so any relationships he may feel distract from that, not that _being with Verde_ would _help_ in any way, given Verde as the _biggest damn flame-trackers_ of the _Century_!)

 

Skull talks with Verde a while, before escaping, nodding to Falco and Leon in thanks for them letting Skull give his Warning...


	4. The Turn of a Mist and Rain

Skull was asleep when Viper and Lal tried breaking into his Hoard.

Lal, she went for the door, tricking the Cloudy trap there, but missed the whoopie-cushion-filled inflatable bed.

So, Skull had woken up, pretending to still be sleeping as he's curled his wishing-to-react flames in.

The window opens, a soft cackle being followed by Viper moving to enter.

"I see I'm not the only one to try something at 3am."

"Hn, don't wake him," Lal hums, as Skull can _feel_ her looking through his hoard.

But he also can sense the tranquilizer loaded into her rifle, as well as the tentacle-like vines Viper has.

" _Hununu..._ Kinky _..._ " he hums, rolling over "in his sleep" as he feels both pause.

"What. The Fuck," Viper growls.

"Nevermind that; why the hell does he have an _empty tin of biscuits_ in this junk heap?!"

Skull with holds their snicker, as they roll on their front with a whine.

" _Armanov..._ " he whines.

The other two _recoil_.

"...Blackmail?" Lal says.

"No way," Viper snaps, as Skull senses them retrieving both coin and necklace, before leaving the ways they came...

Sitting up, Skull lithely leans over his bed, folding himself in half backwards as he sorts his Hoard, sensing how Viper thinks they've managed to hide their lucky coin on themself so easily, as Lal sets up more traps than was on Reborn's whiskey, Rain flames forging a shield that would knock a normal human out in mere seconds...

 _A_   **normal** _,_ _human_.

So, the next day, Skull just steals back the necklace from her underwear drawer, slipping through the shield as he _smiles_ , sensing how it alerts her , the 5' 10" woman  _charging_ upstairs, as Skull collects the rain flames around his hand, using Propagation to power both his wakefulness and the Rain flames he has grabbed.

So, as soon as she throws the door of her room, she gets a face full of her own flames, shocking her enough for her not to notice the rag of chloroform amongst them.

When she collapses, Skull tilts his head at the sight of Luce at the top of the stairs.

"...You seem rather pleased with yourself," she giggles.

Skull holds up the necklace in reply.

Lal _hums_.

"You know you'll need those, in future?" she says, "When everything changes..."

Skull smiles, not the predatory grin from when he got the necklace back, but a softer one, as he lets Himself shine through.

"Thank you for the warning; will I need the others'?"

"No, because otherwise you'll leave that child without a parental figure," Luce hums.

"Ah, the things I let you get away with..." Skull hums, as he ties up Lal, plopping her in his room, before going to find Viper...

...Who was trying to hide in a kitchen cupboard as soon as they sensed the predatory Cloud flames flooding the lower floors.

So you can't really blame Skull for breaking Colonnello's nose when he came to try and rescue Viper from his wrath, _right_?!

"Vi~per! It's time to play dress up~!" Skull calls, as he pretends to be looking elsewhere, moving in accordance with what he says, "Maybe you're behind the fridge!... No~?... Then maybe on top of the wall cupboards!"

He leaps on top of the cupboards he means in one bound, eyes fixed on the appropriate cupboard as he hums.

"You _know_ , tentacles are _reaally kinky_ when you think about it, both of you woke me up and I was _just_ about to get to eat my Mummy's pudding in my dream! I _love_ Mama's pudding!" Skull says, leaping onto the fridge, then the countertop, over the cupboard Viper was hiding in.

"So, you have two options; apologize and you can come out without me attacking you, _or_ , I tear the door off the cupboard and drag you out."

There's silence, Skull silently counting to ten...

Before throwing the door open and shoving rain flames inside.

Viper falls out a moment later, unconscious, Skull calmly reaching down and plucking the coin from the secret pocket in their hood...

 

Skull repeats the process he'd done to Reborn and Colonnello on the pair.

Of course, he's careful when he sees he's not the only one who wears a binder, carefully wrapping towels round the pair as he applies the typical cheerleader's make up to Lal's face, though he also remembers to emphasize her more youthful features, while with Mammon he just applies foundation, mascara, eyeliner and lipstick.

Once done, he carefully moves Mammon to be propped up outside Fon's room, while Lal is propped up outside Colonnello's.

Returning the two items, to his Hoard, Skull pauses, before pulling out a worn, stuffed toy, sawdust pouring out between the loose seams.

"You're going to need sewing up again soon, aren't you?" Skull smirks, as he buries his face in the fabric on the top of the old toy, silence reigning, before he catches Reborn watching him.

Instinct has Skull hiding the bear, watching Reborn carefully.

"Luce made sandwiches for a snack," he says.

Skull pauses, one hand still holding the paw of the bear.

"You say about Olivier to _anyone_ and I'm dressing you in pink."

Reborn _smirks_.

"You know I don't mind what I wear?"

Skull hums softly.

"I know you hate glitter, though."

Reborn leaves, as Skull lets himself smile softly, getting up as he checks his Hoard once more, before heading down to join the others...


	5. A Week of Remembrance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this on Remembrance day, but I was an idiot and pushed it to a side for coursework...
> 
> :) Enjoy.

The house is quiet.

Too quiet.

Reborn, Colonnello and Fon could try all they want, yet Skull would not. Say. A word.

“There is a very simple explanation, you know.”

The words had startled the others, two rifles, a Leon-Gun and Storm-infused hand pointed towards the figure in the corner.

“Checkerface,” Lal spits, “What do you mean?”

Verde and Lal are sitting on either side of Skull, equally silent as their friend.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Checkerface says, voice calm as he smiles gently to the group, “Skull is old, and there were several events on this month, were there not?”

Reborn comes up with the answers first.

“Guy Fawkes night and Remembrance Days, Thanksgiving…” he recites.

“A mere hour is not enough for all the people Skull has seen buried; from the fifth to the twelth, Skull goes silent for all of the people he has lost… For all the people he has in his Hoard.”

The room goes quiet, as Fon lowers his hands.

“What, kora?!” Colonnello roars, “All that stuff - it’s all  _ memorabilia _ from people he’s  _ met _ ?!”

“Does he not have something from each of  _ you _ ?” Checkerface replies, “I myself, however, find no need for such days; I have lived for  _ centuries _ , after all!”

With that, indigo swirls around Checkerface, whisking him away…

There is silence for a moment.

The world turns still with thoughts and worries, not even the outdoors breaking the silence they held. Finally, Reborn turns Leon into a blanket and wraps him around Skull.

Then, silently, he sits at Skull’s feet.

At the looks he gets, Reborn lowers the brim of his hat.

“1944, my Grandfather went MIA, they found his body in 1946, only identifiable by the objects he had upon his person; his head was completely gone,” Reborn states calmly.

It breaks a silence that not even they seemed to know of.

“1942, my Nana snuck into the Chinese barracks; she did return home after, but had gone mute and deaf from shock and the volume of the bombs,” Fon says softly, moving to sit quietly by Reborn.

“All four of my Grandparents worked in World War 2, after their parents had fought in World War One,” Lal states “My Grandmothers grew crops, my Grandfathers joined the Airforce and Navy. Only the one who entered the navy returned to his wife; the other was shot down over the ocean. My Great-Grandparents weren’t entirely happy, but they respected it; we are soldiers by our very souls.”

Verde finally speaks.

“My grandparents were German on one side and Italian on the other; my Großvater was forced to do human experiments on the people in concentration camps. Given none of my family had anything remotely like Aryan colouring. My Nonno was forced into the military, as well,” he says.

“The Mafia had to side with the Government to survive,” Luce said, “But my family decided to be part of the groups smuggling innocents across the borders to Switzerland. My Grandparents lived, but we lost much of our Family during that time.”

Colonnello flops onto his behind.

“My Grandfathers openly enlisted, but my Grandmothers snuck in,” Colonnello said, “My dad ended up an orphan, but my mum still had her Dad - even though he had basically shut down mentally; I met him, once, but it was like he was awake, but asleep? I tugged on his trouser leg, but when he turned to look at me… It was like he wasn’t there at all.”

The others turn to look at Viper, who seems… Wistful.

“I never knew my parents, or my grandparents,” they reply, voice barely a mumble, “I grew up alone in an orphanage that had been blown up back in the war, so there was this memorial we always laid flowers on in the garden.”

For the rest of the week, there was sort of a comradery; Reborn and Fon bought thousands of poppies, red  _ and _ white, to fill the house, though, Mammon then forms an illusion of red roses in a glass vase in the middle of the coffee table in the living room. It turns real overnight, but no one says anything about it.

Finally, when they are all having cups of Luce’s homemade hot chocolate at midnight, the start of November 13th, Skull finally speaks.

“I fought in both World War One and Two. My team were my friends. But, of course, they’re all dead now, either from the war, the effects of the war, or just old age…” he says, voice soft, “Since I survived everything, I was the one to return my friend’s things to their families if they died in battle, though I kept their dog tags, sewn to my old uniforms, yet I ended up giving the families what I had added to my Hoard… It didn’t feel right, otherwise.”

Fon replies by sweeping Skull into a bridal carry, getting him to bed.

Silence remains, until Fon’s return.

“We’re helping him,” Reborn states, voice firm.

“Yes, we are,” Luce agrees.

With that said, they, too, retire for the night…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my family, though I know naught of my great-grandparents, I remember that my Grandma (may she rest in peace) was one of the Crop Girls; her uniform and some of the other things from then my Mum donated to the New Forest Museum in Lyndhurst about six years ago! ^w^


End file.
